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One of
the more odious violations of our First Amendment rights was the 1994
case against Florida-born-but-no-longer-welcome-there comics creator
Michael Diana. Sadly, I can understand how an ordinary
PC-type person might find his creations
disturbing and disqualify them as art or free expression:
"Why that's just perverse! SICK! SICK! SICK!"
"Just for shock value...someone better lock this kid up before
he goes all Columbine!" Of course, these are probably the same
people who flock to see the latest safely-Americanized rip-off of a
Japanese horror movie. Then there's those of us who watch "The Devil's Rejects" and laugh hysterically at -- and probably memorize -- the dialogue when Captain Spaulding, in full clown make-up, carjacks a mother and her young son. Yup, that's me. I don't think Mike's art is half as disturbing as the verdict the Florida judge and jury of this "peers"-- though I have a sneaking suspicion that all of them were aging lizards just waiting to die comfortably in their Ku-Klux-Condos -- handed him: GUILTY OF OBSCENITY. All right, make Mr. Diana pay a fine and let him do his community service. But let's not stop there -- let's also demand that he undergo psychiatric evaluations and the "rehabilitaton of his thinking." Huh-WHAT?!? Oh, and let's make sure the state can seize unannounced anything Mr. Diana writes or draws without the need for a warrant? What the-HELLO?!? Does the state of Florida fly the Nazi swastika on its state flag? Personally, I think Mike's art is a dark mirror of the worst of humanity, and that's what bothers people. They want to bury all those unsavory bits and forget they're real. These are the people who are afraid to log on www.nationalalertregistry.com and see who REALLY lives down the block. These are the people who NEED to forget Katrina and 9-11 because those things just don't fit neatly into their slip-cover world. Are you angry yet? I hope so. You can read a great online news article about Mike's trial here and you can check out The Official Michael Diana website. |
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